Method and apparatus for casting



Nov. 19, 1957 R. J. HINES 2,813,317

METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR CASTING Filed Aug. 11, 1955 INVENTOR; Rasssu. J Hints 341k! 14 Mic Awoaurys Cfi 2,813,317

Patented Nov. 19, 1957 1i A a respectively between which a pair of flasks are assembled with a marginal spacer between them in accordance with this invention; 2813317 Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the marginal spacer; and METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR CASTING Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the assembled flasks with the sand molds formed therein and illustrating the iifgg b fg fizg glggfi g g ig g f ggi g fi marginal spacer partially removed and a cutter ready to Ohi be passed between the flasks.

The flasks shown in the drawings embody intercon- Pl August 1955, Serial 517,815 nected wall panels 10 which are hinged together at one corner and which carry a clamp or latch 12 at the other 8 Clalms' (CL 22 27) corner for locking the walls together to form a hollow frame open at the bottom and top for surrounding sand on a base or presshead. Each of the flasks is provided This invention relates generally to a method and apwith outwardly extending lugs 13 at opposite ends havparatus for making sand molds for casting and more ing vertically disposed apertures carrying sleeve like particularly relates to an improved method and apparatus bushings 14 to form guide sockets for receiving vertifor simultaneously making more than one sand mold for cally extending guide pins 15. The guide pins 15 coact use in forming a mold cavity. with the guide sockets thus formed to establish and main Ordinarily, sand molds employed in the casting of tain registration of the flask sections during formation metals have been made by placing sand in a flask and of the molds. mechanically pressing or compacting the sand by a pres- Referring now more particularly to Fig. 1 of the drawsure board applied to the sand on the side opposite a ings, there is shown a mechanical press for pressing or pattern or pattern board. The mechanical pressing or compacting sand in a flask placed between pattern plates compacting of the sand may be accomplished by placing carried by a lower head 18 and an upper head 20. The the flask in a press having a pair of opposed heads, one lower head 18 is mounted on the base 17 of the press of which carries either a cope or a drag pattern plate, while the upper head 20 is carried by a swingable arm and then by moving the press heads together to form 19 that can be swung toposition the head away from the sand mold. Thereafter, the other half of the cornthe work space to permit placing and removal of the plete sand mold is made by compressing sand in a flask flasks on the lower head. The lower head is also proagainst the other pattern and the cope and drag flask vided with vertical guide pins like 15 for engagement with sections are then assembledwith their respective cavities the guide sockets in a surmounting flask A to secure the in registration to form a completed mold cavity in which flask in fixed position thereon. A cope pattern plate 16 suitable sprue holes and gates are formed in the conis mounted on the lower head 18 to form a cope cavity 'ventional manner. in the sand in the lower flask A. Before locating the Simultaneous production of the cope and drag sections upper flask B on the lower flask A, a marginal spacer in of a mold has been accomplished by using a matched the form of a U-shaped metal strip 22 (better illustrated plate having a drag half of a pattern on one side and a in Fig. 2 of the drawingsyis placed on the top edges of cope half of the pattern on the reverse side, after which the lower flask A. Thereafter, the upper flask B is lowthe plate is attached to a drag flask and used like a folcred onto the lower flask and aligned therewith by virtue low board when ramming the drag. Thereafter, the of the engagement of the vertical guide pins 15 in the matched plate can be left in place and sand rammed in corresponding guide sockets formed at the opposite ends the cope flask against the reverse side of the pattern, after of each flask. which the matched pattern plate may be removed to leave w The assembled flasks may then be filled with sand to the cope and drag cavities in registered relation. Howthe top of an endless mold reinforcing band 21, and the ever, this practice requires uniform thickness of the upper head 20 of the press carrying a drag pattern plate matched pattern plates in the direction of draw and also 23 can be swung into place over the upper flask. The requires a high first cost in apparatus and in the prosand is compressed in the assembled flasks to form the cedure of forming a mold. Therefore; it is a principal molds by moving the lower head towards the upper head object of this invention to reduce these requirements by 20. This may be accomplished by manipulating suitable simultaneously forming the cope and drag sections of a handles 11 which actuate a conventional lift mechanism sand mold between matched plates carried by opposing in the base. As a result, a cope cavity is formed in the heads of a press and thereafter separating the flask secbottom of the lower flask A and a drag cavity is formed tions and reassembling them to form a single mold cavity. on the upper side of the upper flask B and, after the lift Briefly, the foregoing principal objective of this inven is lowered and the upper head removed and swung out tion is accomplished by assembling two flasks in surof place, the marginal spacing strip 22 can be removed mounting stacked relation on a lower press head carryfrom between the flasks to provide access to the body ing a cope pattern plate and with a marginal spacer sepof sand between the upper and lower flasks. arating the flasks The flasks are then filled with sand Fig. 3 of the drawings, shows the spacing strip 22 parand the top head of the press carrying the drag pattern tially withdrawn with a wire cutting element 25 having plate is swung into place for coaction with the lower a handle 26 at one extremity poised for passage between head to compress the sand and form the mold sections. the flasks. The other extremity may be anchored to the Thereafter, the upper head and drag plate are withdrawn, press frame or held by the operator and passage of the the marginal spacer is removed from between the flasks, 7 wire 25 through the sand between the flasks permits reand a cutting :deviceis passed between the flasks to cut moval of the upper flask B so that it may be placed upon the sand andto enable the top flask section to be removed a base board with its drag cavity facing upwardly. Therefrom the lower flask section. The flask sections may after, the lower flask A can be removed from the press be then reassembled with their respective cavities in mg and placed on top of the drag flask with its cope cavity istration to form a completed mold cavity. in registration with the drag cavity to form a completed In the drawings: mold cavity. Molten metal may then be poured into this Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a press having a lower cavity to form a casting.

and upper head carrying a cope and drag pattern plate Thus, it is possible, in accordance with this invention,

to simultaneously form a cope and a drag mold section between opposed press heads carrying matching pattern plates and then separate the mold sections thus formed so that they can be removed from the press and assembled to form a completed mold cavity. This arrangement can be used for either single or multiple molding by properly locating the sprue holes and gates so that a plurality of single mold cavities can be stacked or grouped together to enable their pouring at substantially one operation.

I have shown and described what I consider to be the preferred embodiment of my invention along with suggested modified forms, and it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that other changes and modifications may be made without departing from the scope of my invention as defined by the appended claims.

I claim:

1. The method of forming a complete mold cavity comprising, placing one flask on a pattern plate, locating a spacer member along the top edge of the flask, then placing another flask in registered relation on top of the spacing member, locating another pattern plate above the upper flask, compressing the pattern plates together against sand in the assembled flasks to form matching mold cavities on the top and bottom, removing the port a pair of foundry flasks in stacked surmounting relation .therebetween and movable towards each other to compress and mold a common body of sand within the flasks, spacing means operably supported between the press heads and adapted to be removably interposed between mating top and bottom edges of stacked flasks for coaction with the press heads to provide access to the compressed body of sand between such stacked flasks, and cutting means carried by the press and adapted to pass through the body of sand between the flasks after removal of the spacing means to separate the upper flask and mold from the lower flask and mold, means for selectively positioning said spacing or said cutting means into operative position between the flasks.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein said cutting means includes a wire element having one end anchored on the press and wherein said positioning means includes, a handle on the free end of said wire element, whereby an operator can grasp the handle and pass the wire element through the sand between the flasks.

4. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein said spacing means includes a frame strip having a configuration corresponding to the edge configuration along all but one edge of the foundry flask, and wherein said positioning means includes an externally accessible portion of said strip to permit retraction of the strip from between the mating edges of the flasks.

5. In an apparatus for simultaneously making multiple matching sand molds the combination comprising, a lower press head having a pattern plate and adapted to support a pair of foundry flasks in stacked surmounting registered relation thereon, an upper press head carrying a matching pattern plate disposed above and adapted for movement toward the lower press head to compress a common mass of sand and form a compound mold within the flasks, a spacer member operably supported between the press head and adapted for spacing insertion between all but one of the mating top and lower edges of flasks stacked on the lower press head and for coaction with the press heads to provide an accessible body of compressed sand between such flasks, and a wire cutting element operably supported between the press head and adapted to be passed through the body of sand between such flasks after the spacer member is removed and thereby to separate the upper flask and mold from the lower flask and mold, means for selectively positioning said spacing member and said cutting element to operative position between the flasks.

6. A spacer adapted for insertion between a pair of foundry flasks stacked in surmounting registered relation to receive a common body of sand and comprising, a strip of sheet material having a marginal configuration corresponding to the flask boundary and adapted for spacing insertion between mating top and lower edges of stacked flasks, one side of said marginal strip being open to permit unimpeded retraction of the strip from between stacked flasks after they have been filled with a common body of sand, and said strip having a projection adapted to be externally accessible for retraction when the strip is located between the flasks.

7. The strip of claim 6 wherein the material is sheet metal and the marginal configuration is generally U- shaped, and wherein the strip projection includes extensions of the strip portion forming the base of the U-shape beyond either leg in the plane of the strip to provide externally accessible handles.

8. The method of simultaneously forming multiple sand molds adapted to cooperate to form a complete mold cavity comprising, assembling a pair of flasks in spaced surmounting registered relation between a pair of press heads each carrying a pattern plate, compressing sand in the assembled flasks to form matching mold sections by moving the press heads together, then separating the mold sections while the flasks are disposed in sur- 1 mounting relationship by passing a cutting element through the sand in the space between the flasks to permit reassembly of the flasks with their cavities matching to form a completed mold cavity, said method further characterized wherein the assembling of the flasks includes placing one of the flasks on a base press head, then locating a spacing member along the top marginal edges of the flask, then placing the other flask in registered relation on top of the spacing member, and after compressing sand in the assembled flasks, separating the mold sections by first removing the spacing member and then passing the cutting element through the sand in the space formed by the spacing member between the upper and lower flasks.

References Cited in the file of this patent of Commerce, D. C. 

